


Peace of Mind

by theauthorish



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 01:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21262538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthorish/pseuds/theauthorish
Summary: A soul that can't be reaped, and the reaper that cannot reap him.Or,Hajime wants to help Oikawa pass on, or at least keep him company.





	Peace of Mind

**Author's Note:**

> My fantasy haikyuu exchange gift!!! Hooray!!!

"You really should have moved on by now," Hajime sighed, as he stepped into the hospital room.

He'd come to claim the soul of the girl, the one who'd been laying in this cot for three years now, unconscious; the one whose family was saying goodbye, even though she couldn't hear, whose family would soon pull the plug on her life support with their own hands and call it love.

It sickened him.

But she was not who he was talking to.

Instead, he was speaking to a boy, one who lingered on the edge of the hospital room. A ghost.

"Iwa-chan, you keep saying that, but you never take me with you," he chided, in a singsong voice that almost, but not quite, hid the undercurrent of pleading.

He wanted to go, he really did. This, Hajime knew. But he could not do anything about it. It was not his place.

And truly, he would miss him, though he wouldn't acknowledge it aloud.

"Shut up, dumbass," Hajime snapped. "Stop calling me that."

The heartbeat monitor went erratic, then made a single, solid beep. The family was ushered from the room.

The girl-- her soul, at any rate-- sat up, confused and lost as her body laid still beneath her, no longer bound to her spirit

"Goodbye, Iwa-chan," said the boy.

Hajime dipped his head in a nod, and then took the girl by the hand.

"I'm dead," she murmured, very quietly. "Why do you see me? Who are you?"

"I'm your reaper," he said, softly. "I know you're scared. I know you're sad. But I promise, things will be okay, all right? Can you come with me?"

She nodded, and Hajime led her out, to the afterlife she had earned.

The ghost boy was gone, faded once more into the chipped paint walls and the cold tiles. Hajime knew he would see him again.

It was a relief, and yet, it made him ache.

/////

The boy was Oikawa Tooru, scarcely older than 18 when he'd died. After a history of pushing himself too far and internalized self-hatred, he'd passed away from some health complication or injury Hajime didn't know the specifics of.

His reaper had never come to claim him, had just vanished and abandoned his duties.

The 'superiors', whoever they were, hadn't seen fit to reassign the souls he'd left unclaimed; lost souls weren't unusual, they said. Those ghosts could pass on their own, if they try. Or a mortal might help them. It's happened before. And then they shuffled their files and stopped marking down the rogue reaper for duty, while the spirits like Oikawa lingered in the spots they'd died waiting for their turn to be led into their afterlife.

One that would never come.

It made Hajime boil inside, but it wasn't something he could do anything about. He'd tried, the first time he'd met Oikawa. Tried to lead him on, along with the grandfather he'd originally come for.

But when they went through the doorway, only the grandfather passed through to the between-space.

Hajime had tried again and again. The result never changed. And little by little, Oikawa's expression lost its hope, until finally each attempt earned Hajime falsely playful jabs and brittle smiles--

He hated it.

But there was nothing he could do.

/////

"Y'know Iwa-chan, none of the other reapers get assigned here, it seems," Oikawa told him one day, with no regard for the squalling baby behind them-- the one whose mother the doctors were desperately trying to scoop from Hajime's clutches.

It was pointless; the books had been written, and hers ended here. He just had to wait.

He did feel sorry though. Of course he did.

And he certainly respected the doctors for trying anyway.

Oikawa felt the same, he knew. This nonchalance was practiced, and almost believable, but if Hajime looked for it, he knew he'd see the clench of his fingers, the gaze pointedly fixed anywhere but over their shoulders, or even the glass of the windows where there might have been a reflection.

"Shut up," Hajime answered, playing along. He was the only company Oikawa got. The only company that knew he was there, anyway. He could indulge him a little.

"_ Awww _ ," Oikawa cooed, and Hajime regretted his decision immediately, jaw clenching in annoyance. "You aren't denying it! Could it be you _ liiiiiiike _me after all, Iwa-chan?"

"If you weren't already dead," he said simply, "I would kill you myself."

"You can't, though!" Oikawa cheered, sticking his tongue out like a toddler. "Because I _ am _dead. And anyway, even if I wasn't, reapers aren't allowed to influence life and death, remember? Just collect the souls."

Hajime raised an eyebrow. "How do _ you _ know that?" He certainly hadn't told Oikawa. Oikawa _ was _right-- none of the other reapers came here. Hajime had made sure of it. So where...

Oikawa sniffed, dragging Hajime out of his thoughts. "I can do research, you know." He didn't bother explaining, and Hajime knew that any attempt to get it out of him would be fruitless. And frustrating.

He sighed. "Fine. Whatever. I'm heading out now," he said, as the doctors reluctantly stepped away. "See ya."

"Yeah."

/////

"Iwa-chan," Oikawa said, watching the young soon-to-be-widow say her farewells. "Have you ever been in love?"

"I'm a reaper," Hajime responded, brow furrowed. In love? When the only people he ever met were dead, or soon to be dead, or somewhere in between? Was Oikawa stupid?

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'so'?" He shot Oikawa a withering glare. "How could I possibly--"

Oikawa rolled his eyes, like _ Hajime _was somehow the one being irrational and weird. This was not the case. "What, you don't have feelings, Iwa-chan? Don't lie to me, I've seen you cry like, a million times at this point."

"Shut up," Hajime groaned, elbowing him in the side. "That's exaggerated."

"If you say so."

With a sigh, Hajime gave in. "Who would I fall in love with anyway?"

"I don't know? I don't know who you know! Why are you asking me?"

"It was _ rhetorical _," Hajime snapped. "I only know other reapers and the souls I collect," he continued. "Which is why me falling in love doesn't make any sense. What about you?"

Oikawa hummed, considering. Something about it put Hajime on edge, though he couldn't explain why even if he tried. A long minute passed. Suddenly, Oikawa blurted, "Hey, I'm not in either of those categories!"

"I pretend not to know you. You're an embarrassment."

Oikawa squawked in offense, started to sputter out protests and, _ rude, Iwa-chan _\-- but just then, duty called; he quieted down, and faded away as Hajime turned to collect his charge.

It was only later that Hajime realized Oikawa hadn't even acknowledged the question.

What an asshole-- digging for information like that but unwilling to offer it up himself.

Still, Hajime didn't really care, so he let it go.

And if his stomach twisted a bit, like somehow he was hungry, even though as a reaper, he didn't even _ have _bodily urges like that--

Well. That was his own business.

/////

They were on the roof tonight. For once, Hajime wasn't here on business at all-- just here by choice. He thought maybe he should come visit more often; Oikawa's face had always lit up when he came, but it had shone even more brilliantly when he realized the reaper wasn't here for duty.

He was here for Oikawa.

Not that he'd admit it.

Oikawa was happy enough at the company to let that slide, leading him up to the roof to stare up at the stars and constellations.

"Ah, I haven't had anyone to teach about stars in ages," Oikawa sighed, lips stretching in a contented smile. He flopped onto his back, sprawled out over the ground. It was a cold, windy night, and the rooftop was damp from a passing rain this afternoon, but it wasn't something Oikawa could feel. Hajime wondered idly if Oikawa is glad for it, or if, somewhere in his labyrinthine mind, Oikawa actually mourned it.

The reaper dropped to a crouch beside him. "Who says I need to be taught?" Hajime grunted, tipping his head back to find what constellations he can make out.

Oikawa turned to face him, eyes sparkling. "I do. You'll let me, right?"

No barbs, no teasing or taunting. Just an innocent, eager plea.

How could Hajime say no? Even the idea of denying him twisted his heart so.

He sighed. "Fine."

Oikawa beamed, starlight so close Hajime felt he might go blind.

The heavens had been robbed, he thought. But Hajime found he wasn't nearly so regretful as he ought to be. He was glad, if anything, that he could be here, that Oikawa would always be here too, as selfish as that may have been.

Oikawa shifted his hand and found Hajime's, and Hajime let him tangle their fingers together.

"Do you still want to pass on?" Hajime murmured, interrupting Oikawa's tale of starcrossed lovers kept on opposite ends of the sky… or something like that.

Oikawa pouted. "Mean, Iwa-chan, were you even listening to me?"

Hajime didn't answer, refusing to allow Oikawa to deflect.

The ghost sighed. "Not really. I like this, actually. Weird huh? It's just… it's not so bad, when you come to see me. If I moved on… we wouldn't meet anymore, right?" He squeezed Hajime's hand, soft and sweet and--

_ Oh. _

"Is this why you asked?"

Oikawa froze. "Asked what?"

"If I've ever been in love."

Another pause, heavier than the last. Finally, Oikawa laughed, airy and feeble. "You're an idiot. Of course it is. How haven't you noticed?"

Hajime rolled his eyes. "Shut up, asshole."

Oikawa's grin was brilliant. "Make me."

And oh, Hajime did.


End file.
